We are not going to list here a collection of surprise strategies, but how to build your own strategy based on surprise. Surprising your audience is a powerful tool in marketing, as surprise is a natural attention grabber and often leaves a lasting impression.
The surprise doesn’t even need to occur at the beginning of the content. It is possible to include unexpected twists in the content that provoke a reaction and keep the intrigue going, causing the audience to finish consuming your entire message. It is therefore very effective to start with a conventional narrative but change direction abruptly, surprising readers or viewers, and keeping their attention or making them feel engaged with that twist.
Surprises don’t always have to be something super shocking. You can use other strategies like interactive campaigns and immersive experiences to surprise the audience. They will really be surprised when you require their active participation, or when you conduct surveys and reveal the results.
Always use creative ways, and leave it up to the viewer’s imagination or ability to act. A paradigmatic case is the use of interactive videos that offer alternative endings that your audience can choose according to their preference, affinity or interest. With this small action that you require from whoever interacts with your content, you are capturing their attention, encouraging greater engagement and impacting the retention of your brand in the minds of consumers and potential customers.
Another technique that can generate great impact are unexpected collaborations with brands or influencers that are not directly related to your industry, but are reasonably well known. This is a very successful way to create innovative and fresh campaigns that allow you to stand out in a saturated market.
In short, surprise-based strategies create a buzz around your brand, increasing visibility and reach to new audiences and potentially new customers. Each twist or surprise creates the necessary impact for your message to be remembered and appreciated.
